This year, on the 1st and 2nd of May, the Worldwide
Symposium on Geographical Indications 2025 was held in
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The event was organized by the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with the Zimbabwe
Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) serving as the host.
As evidenced by hosting this event, Zimbabwe has been committed
to active engagement in matters related to Geographical Indications
(GIs). With international attention focused on Zimbabwe, the
natural question arose: what is the current status of GI protection
in the country? There has been legislation for the protection of
GIs since the enactment of the Geographical Indications Act in
2001. Although this Act established a formal system allowing
registration, it was not until much later in 2016 that government
promulgated the GIs regulations that provided the legal framework
for processing applications, including application requirements,
examination, publication, opposition, and
